For many years Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M), St. Paul, Minn., has sold a light duty or disposable prior art tape dispenser under the trade designation "Scotch(T.M.) Brand C-147 dispenser which is similar to the tape dispenser described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,328. That dispenser is a manually operated tape dispenser for a roll of tape from which lengths of the tape may be withdrawn and includes cutting means by which tape withdrawn from the dispenser may be cut from tape remaining on the roll of tape in the dispenser. That tape dispenser comprises a frame integrally molded of a polymeric material that comprises (1) a cutter support portion having means for defining a cutting edge along one end that is adapted to transversely cut the tape, (2) opposite side wall portions attached along opposite side edges of the cutter support portion that are disposed generally at right angles to the cutter support portion and to the cutting edge, (3) opposed hub portions projecting toward each other from the side wall portions, which hub portions are adapted to rotatably support the roll of tape for rotation about an axis by projecting into opposite ends of an opening through its core; and (4) opposed locating tab portions projecting toward each other from the side wall portions at a distance from the axis that is significantly less than the distance between the cutting edge and the axis, which locating tab portions have retaining surfaces adjacent the cutter support portion to which newly cut end portions of the tape may be releasably adhered to retain those end portions of the tape in a position projecting from the roll at which they may be manually engaged to afford withdrawing another length of tape from the roll. In that prior art tape dispenser, however, the newly cut end portion of the tape can far too easily peal or slip away from the retaining surfaces on the locating tab portions, whereupon the newly cut end portion can again adhere to the underlying wrap of tape on the roll and be difficult to separate from that roll when another length of tape is desired. After that end of the tape is subsequently pealed from the roll it can be moved between and around the tab portions to a position between the locating tab portions and the cutter support portion, however this is not done as easily as may be desired, and even when done, does not often result in subsequent newly cut end portions of the tape remaining between the locating tab portions and the cutter support portion.
For many years Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., has also sold an industrial quality prior art tape dispenser under the trade designation "Scotch(T.M.) Brand H-122 Dispenser, Model 28300". That dispenser is a manually operated tape dispenser for a roll of tape from which lengths of the tape may be withdrawn and includes cutting means by which tape withdrawn from the dispenser may be cut from tape remaining on the roll of tape in the dispenser. That tape dispenser comprises a frame integrally molded of a polymeric material that comprises (1) a cutter support portion having means for defining a cutting edge along one end that is adapted to transversely cut the tape, (2) opposite side wall portions attached along opposite side edges of the cutter support portion that are disposed generally at right angles to the cutter support portion and to the cutting edge, (3) a hub portion projecting from one of the side wall portions, which hub portion is adapted to project into the opening in a core for the roll of tape to rotatably support the roll of tape for rotation about an axis; and (4) opposed spaced locating tab portions projecting toward each other from the side wall portions at a distance from the axis that is significantly less than the distance between the cutting edge and the axis, which locating tab portions have retaining surfaces adjacent the cutter support portion to which newly cut end portions of the tape may be releasably adhered to retain those end portions of the tape in a position projecting from the roll at which they may be manually engaged to afford withdrawing another length of tape from the roll. Also, the locating tab portions have opposed cam surfaces extending to the inner spaced adjacent ends of the locating tab portions on the sides of the locating tab portions opposite the retaining surfaces, which cam surfaces can be used to cause tape being pulled from the roll of tape on the side of the tab portions opposite the retaining surfaces to be guided between and around the tab portions to a position between the locating tab portions and the cutter support portion. Such guidance of the tape, however, requires purposeful manipulation of the dispenser, and if this is not properly done, the portion of the tape being withdrawn may not become positioned between the locating tab portions and the cutter support portion when the cutting edge is brought into engagement to transversely cut the tape so that that newly cut end portion can again adhere to the surface of the roll of tape rather than to the retaining surfaces.